WR Ramel Keyton Made Last-Minute Case to Make Raiders Roster, Quite Literally

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Ramel Keyton shined in his final preseason showing.

Tennessee wide receiver Ramel Keyton (9) runs the ball during a football game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. / Hannah Mattix/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

For several Las Vegas Raiders, Friday night's preseason finale was critical for their final impressions before the club narrows down its 53-man roster.

Undrafted free-agent wide receiver Ramel Keyton was one of the players who made the most of that opportunity.

Keyton led all Raiders in receiving with 76 yards on just four receptions, including his 54 yards on the Raiders' late game-tying drive.

"I mean, hell, we threw the ball a lot," said Raiders coach Antonio Pierce when he addressed reporters on Saturday. "He [Keyton] had eight targets. But no, it was really good to see because, if you remember last week, he had one go off his fingertips, didn't quite make it. And he made some really, really tough catches last night. Maybe not the best ball placement we wanted, but 2-minute drill, I mean, he showed up, and he was active. And you really felt him.

"And he's a very talented player, and I think he's still trying to find his way in the pro game. And I think it was good last night for him to go out there and really showcase that in a critical situation in the game to allow us to either tie it up or win it, and obviously, we kicked a field goal. But I think he's a guy that we had our eye on early, especially in the offseason program. And some other guys kind of stepped up, and you kind of forget about them a little bit because he doesn't make a play or two here. And then last night, we asked those guys to really step out and make it tough for us over the next 48 hours."

Keyton sure did just that.

The Tennessee product was one of the top wide receivers to go undrafted this past spring. He served as a full-time starter in the final two of his five seasons with the Volunteers.

Last year, Keyton led the team in touchdown receptions with six, the 10th most in the SEC. He finished his final season with 642 yards on 35 receptions. He was third in the conference in yards per catch with 18.3.